Biography

18 March 1966, Tacoma, Washington, USA. The guitarist and one of the guiding forces behind troubled Seattle band Alice In Chains, Cantrells solo releases have confirmed his reputation as one of the most talented songwriters to emerge from the 90s grunge scene.

Despite the success of 1990s Facelift and 1992s Dirt, Alice In Chains career was bedevilled by lead vocalist Layne Staleys personal problems. By the mid-90s, Staleys substance abuse had grown so problematic that Alice In Chains were unable to complete a full tour. After finishing work on the bands 1995 self-titled release and an MTV Unplugged session, Cantrell set about recording material for his own solo album. He contributed a song to the soundtrack of The Cable Guy and then released Boggy Depot in spring 1998. The albums stand-out track, the jazz-inflected closer Cold Piece, featured lyrics that many critics felt were aimed...